Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to act on the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) would allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to negotiate prescription drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
“The top issue confronting Nevada’s seniors is the high cost of prescription drugs. At kitchen tables across our state, seniors are deciding whether to put food on the table, or pay for their prescriptions. There is legislation to address this issue, but Senator McConnell has shown that it’s at the bottom of his priority list. The House has acted to curb drug prices, yet the Senate has failed to act even on this simple, vital legislation that would require the federal government to directly negotiate with drug companies for better prices through Medicare. There are nearly 43 million seniors on Medicare waiting for the Senate to act. Seniors in Nevada, and across the country deserve a vote in favor of their health and economic security.
BACKGROUND:
In addition to supporting the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act, Senator Cortez Masto continues to advocate for additional legislation to address high prescription drug costs for seniors. In March of 2019, the Senator introduced drug pricing transparency legislation that would allow the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) as well as the Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission (MACPAC) access to critical information on pricing and contracts under Medicaid and Medicare to improve federal health programs and reduce prescription drug costs.